Review of Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019) by Mnba — 12 Aug 2019

Maybe it was the nostalgic chill vibe, but my only regret about this movie was that it wasn’t longer. I could watch Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) & Cliff Booth (Pitt) navigate 1960s Hollywood all day long. The friendship between the two lead characters, and Dalton’s coping with the unknown limbo and stage of his career, was truly enjoyable to watch. Now I was born in ‘79, so didn’t live in that era, but man did it feel like they hit a homerun on the authenticity and personality of it.

The movie portrays Sharon Tate with a sweetness and genuine optimism on her future, with the success she’d worked towards coming to fruition. It felt like through Margot Robbie’s nuanced performance we know Sharon Tate a bit more than previously (despite outside sociopolitical criticisms to the character’s lack of dialogue). And say what you will about your opinion on Tarantino’s relationship with women, but if anything, this movie avenges Tate’s murder in a way, and pays homage to her life and career.

There was also an element of old vs. young, and while it was maybe unfair that the youth were represented by the Manson kids, boy did their attitude look familiar.

The pacing and tone might not be for everyone, and it may veer away from people’s expectations of a Tarantino film, but for me this was my most enjoyed movie in a while, and overall favorite of Tarantino’s. For me it was a 10, but it’s probably a true 8, and any score below a 6 is dishonest and personal.